It's a Wonderful Life, George Weasley!
by romionefan4eva
Summary: Between Ron leaving the shop, Ginny moving into the bachelor pad, and having to face another Christmas without Fred, George Weasley believes the best thing to do is end his life. Actually, it'd probably just be better if he had never been born! With the help of his guarding angel, George learns what life would be like if he had never existed.
1. The Bridge

"You'd think that parents would have the courtesy to buy their children's gifts on Black Friday, instead of waiting until Christmas Eve!" Ron laughed bitterly, setting the box of Extendable Ears in the storage room.

"Yeah, it sure would make our job a lot easier." George said absentmindedly as he filled out an inventory chart.

"It makes Christmas at the Burrow seem a lot more appealing, though." Ron commented.

"That's for sure."

"Hey! It's Angelina's first Holiday at the Burrow, isn't it?" Ron said excitedly.

"Yep." George smiled proudly. "Christmas Eve at the Burrow, then she's going home and we're spending Christmas morning with our own families, and then I'm going to her house for Christmas dinner."

"You nervous?"

"A bit. Not much about her coming to our house, she knows the family pretty well. I'm a little scared about dinner at her house, though; I'm sure it'll be a lot more formal. Our house is pretty hectic on the holidays."

"Hey, if I can survive Christmas with Mr. and Mrs. Boring Granger who have told me constantly that a joke shop manager is not the career for the boyfriend of their only and most precocious daughter, I'm sure you'll do fine." Ron laughed, and George did too.

"What's wrong with a joke shop manager?" George said easily.

"Beats me." Ron shrugged. "But...I've been meaning to talk to you about that."

"About what?"

"The joke shop thing. Not saying it'll happen anytime soon, but maybe sometime in the future...we did agree this would only be temporary." Ron began awkwardly.

"What do you mean?"

"Look, George, it's hard for me to say it but...don't you remember? When I agreed to help you out, I had the intent of becoming an Auror. Now I've been here for almost four years!" Ron exclaimed, and George's relaxed expression quickly screwed up into one of anger.

"Well don't act like I'm your charity case, Ron! By all means, leave! Nobody's stopping you!" George said hotly.

"George, I didn't mean it like that!"

"Well then how did you mean it?! Admit it, you think that this job is stupid, but you're only here because you feel it's your duty! You feel that if you leave, I'll be suicidal or something!" George spat.

Ron was taken aback. "No, George, it's not like that at all! I love it at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, I really do, but owning a joke shop is your dream, not mine. I've always wanted to be an Auror; it just makes it hard to leave because I like it so much here." Ron said seriously.

"No, let's be real, it makes it hard for you to leave because you're worried about me!" George yelled.

"Where the bloody hell is all the anger coming from?!" Ron exclaimed.

The truth was, George didn't know. Maybe was the fact that it was Christmas Eve, and it would be another Christmas without Fred. Maybe it was because Ron was the best friend he had since Fred had past, and now he would be abandoning him, just like Fred, except this time, it would be by choice.

But of course he wouldn't tell Ron that.

"Just...go." George sighed, slumping in a chair.

"George, I-"

"Just go, okay!" George snapped.

Ron stood in silence for a minute, before grabbing his coat.

"I'll see you tonight, right?" He said quietly.

"Maybe." George mumbled.

"Maybe?"

Ron bit his lip before choosing to ignore this. "Oh, I forgot to mention...never mind."

"What?"

"No, I don't want to put you in a worse mood." Ron said with narrowed eyes.

"Just tell me!" George commanded.

"Well, Harry said when he and Ginny get married next month they're going to move into Grimmauld's Place...so we have to move out."

"Great." George said sarcastically. "Spectacular! Soon I'll be without a partner and homeless!"

"George, no need to worry about it, you and I can find another flat, together." Ron said with a hesitant smile.

"Sure, leave me alone at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, but ensure we get a flat together to split the rent. I'll pass." George said with a cold glare.

"Merry Christmas, Ron." He grumbled before heading into Fred's bedroom, the only part of the flat above the shop that had not been turned into a storage room.

Ron stood in the doorway, flabbergasted. He was used to George having sudden bursts of anger since Fred's death, but he had not had one in a while. He thought George was getting better ever since Angelina came...

Yes, Ron loved his job, but part of George was right. He had always been afraid to leave because he wasn't quite sure if George was emotionally stable for Ron to leave him alone. This conversation had just proved he wasn't, but now Ron was afraid he had just jeopardized his relationship with his older brother.

Ron wanted to say something, but he knew when George was in Fred's bedroom, it was better to leave him alone.

George began to sob once he reached Fred's bed.

Another Christmas without Fred...soon he'd be losing Ron...soon he'd be kicked out of Grimmauld's place...

Arguably, it was a simple fight, but truthfully, he was using these unfortunate events to release anger over everything that had happened in his life over the past few years.

He wasn't the same without Fred. Nobody preferred him without Fred. He tried to pretend Ron was Fred; he had tried to replace Fred with his little brother! Most of the time, he seemed to fool himself into it working. Ron and Fred were a lot alike, that was why the twins got along with him so well. But then he was reminded that the joke shop was the twin's dream, not Ron's, which reminded him that Fred would never return.

Sometimes his life brought him so much joy...but times like these he just wanted to end it all.

He put on his coat, but instead of apperating to Grimmauld's Place, he took a walk.

Each step reminded him of how worthless he was. Each step reminded him he was chasing dreams that he didn't believe in anymore. Each step reminded him about how he wished to be reunited with Fred.

So by the time he reached the bridge, he couldn't feel more worthless. He squinted through the heavy snow into the endless pit of water, sloshing dangerously. It was a rash decision. He thought of what Mum and Dad would think. He thought of poor Ginny. He thought of Ron, his brother and best friend on earth. It was a pity a fight would be their goodbye. And he thought of Angelina, and how she was expecting a happy Christmas with his family. His biggest regret was that he couldn't kiss her one last time.

And then he jumped, and as he glided towards the water he could've sworn he saw Fred welcoming him.

**Author's note: **_Fear not, readers, George Weasley will not be dying, this is only the prologue! He is about to find out what life would be like if he was never born! Yes, it is after Christmas,but it is still the holiday season, and I believe 'It's a Wonderful Life' has a lesson to be learned year round. Reviews would be great, too!_


	2. The Wish

George could still hear the violent waves crashing, and could feel the snowflakes falling delicately on his head. He held his sopping wet jacket tight, hoping it would stop him from shivering. If this was Heaven, it sure didn't feel like it.

"I didn't think you'd actually do it!" George heard a voice laugh. "And now I'm all wet, thanks for that!"

Startled, George looked up to see the voice, and was shocked to see his twin staring at him.

"F-f-Fred?" He sputtered.

"Don't look at me like that; you're greeting me like I'm Voldemort!" Fred chuckled.

"If y-you're h-h-here...th-then I r-r-really a-am...?" George stuttered, due to shock and lack of warmth.

"Well, spit out, c'mon, we haven't got all day!" Fred said.

"Dead?"

"No. You, with all your intelligence, made a bold move to throw your life away and break the hearts of all who love you by jumping off this bridge." Fred said, laying a firm hand on the bridge. "I, with the fearlessness of a Gryffindor, jumped in right after you and saved your arse."

"Except I didn't want to be saved!" George whined, and Fred opened his mouth to retort, but George added, "Wait a second...how are you here?"

"I'm your guardian angel, Georgie." Fred smiled.

"But how can I have a guardian angel if I'm already dead?" George asked.

"You're not dead. Like I've said, I had to come down and save you from doing something stupid...as usual." He smirked, and George gave him an affectionate kick of annoyance. Fred held out his hand and helped his twin up.

"So if I'm not dead..."

"You're very much alive."

"Then why can I see you?"

"Oh, I'm merely here for a few minutes to remind you I saved your life, and _don't try something like this again!"_ He said the last in an uncanny imitation of their mother, which had the twins in stiches of laughter.

"I miss you, Fred." George said seriously.

"I miss you too, George."

"Can you stay a bit longer?"

"No, I've got to get going back."

"To where?"

"Heaven."

"Can I come too?"

"No, Georgie, that's why I saved you."

"Well did you ever think I didn't want to be saved?!" George yelled, and Fred was taken aback by his twin's anger. "You're doing just fine; you can fly around and save people-"

"I can't fly yet, actually-"

"And you get to hang out with all the cool people in heaven! I'm stuck on this stupid, worthless, dirty, evil, corrupt world! I have to face it every day, without you!" George was bringing tears to his twin's eyes. "You don't know what it's like. You were the cooler twin. You were the leader. I thought of the plans, you put them into action. I thought of the cheeky comments, you had the guts to say them. I depended on you! And without you, it's like I have to learn how to live my life all over again!"

"George-" Fred croaked.

"No! I'm going with you! There are not enough guarding angels who can stop me!"

"George, I didn't die so you could end your life early! I died so people like you could tell my story, _our story. _I have complete faith that you will share the legends and laughs of the Weasley twins." Fred said sincerely.

"Yeah, well, if you think it's that easy, then you should be the one here on earth, and I should be up there! Or, if you didn't want me to die early, it'd probably just be easier if I was never born!"

"Sorry, what did you say?"

"_I wish I had never been born!" _As soon as he screamed it, the wind seemed to pick up speed, the snowflakes stinging his eyes.

"I'm sorry, George, I gotta go! It's for your own good!" Fred said.

"What?"

"Be careful what you wish for!" Fred yelled. "I love you!"

"I love you too, Fred!" George said before a large gust of wind knocked him down.

George rubbed the back of his head and groaned as he leaned into a sitting position.

"Always had to have a big exit, that brother of yours." A voice chuckled.

"Bloody hell!" George said suddenly. "Lupin?"

"Surprised?" He laughed, helping George up.

"What are you doing here? Why have I seen two dead people in one night?"

"I'm your guardian angel, George." Lupin said.

"But Fred said he was my guardian angel."

"Yes, well in this universe, Fred is alive, so he can't be your guardian angel."

"_This_ universe?"

"You wished you had never been born, and your wish came true."

"Come off it!" George scoffed.

"It's true. Look through all your pockets, no form of identification one-so-ever." Lupin said calmly.

George patted down his jacket, but couldn't find any. "They probably fell out when I jumped in the lake." George mumbled, running a hand through his hair, and hitting a surprising object." Hey, wait! My right ear! It's back!"

"Well, you never were born, so you could never participate in the seven potters, so you never lost an ear." Lupin explained.

"Okay, this is getting weird." George said. "If this is some magical spell or practical joke, we can stop now."

"Oh, it's no joke, George." Lupin said seriously.

"I'm alive."

"You were never born."

"I'll prove it to you!"

"By all means, try, George." Lupin said, amused.

"Okay, we're going home so I can get all my Christmas gifts to bring to the Burrow. And when Ron is on the floor apologizing for earlier, you'll know that things are just like they were before, except for the fact that I attempted suicide and now have seen two dead people who claim to be my guardian angels." George said matter-of-factly.

**Author's note: **_Wow, I updated that one quick! I guess I just wanted to get to the good stuff, which is coming next! Also, I chose Lupin as the subsitute guardian angel because I thought he was a trustworthy and stable guy, and I assume George bonded with him through all the Order stuff. He was George's protector during the seven potters, after all!_

_Fun Fact: George Bailey = George Weasley. Weird coincidence! Also, in the movie, George Bailey lost his hearing in one of his ears, but since he was never born, he regained the hearing, just like if George Weasley was never born, he would have two ears!_


	3. The House

George apparated in front of Grimmuald's Place, shortly followed by Lupin. Just like the bridge, the snow was falling heavily, obscuring the light the lamps in the muggle street were illuminating.

"See," George said proudly on the top step of Grimmuald Place. "Same as before." He began to feel around in his pockets for his keys, but couldn't find them. "What the hell?! I had them before, I swear! I never leave the house without them!"

"Well, you were never born, so you never received a key to the house." Lupin said wisely.

"I don't need to listen to that load of dung." George said bitterly, still looking frantically for his house key.

"Allow me." Lupin said, and used some sort of magical angel enchantment to enable them to walk through the door.

George was greeted by the smell of mold and dust as soon as he entered the house. "Merlin, what is that smell?" He coughed.

The house did not look like this before he left this morning. Yes, he admitted him, Ron, and Harry were not the cleanest blokes around, but this was absolutely atrocious! There were clothes everywhere; ties hanging off tilted lampshades, robes draped over the chairs and couches, socks scattered across the floor. The amount of dust the house had collected was disgusting; as George wiped his finger across the piano, his finger turned black with dust, and forced him to sneeze. There were several open pizza boxes on the coffee table, several bottles of firewhiskey and butterbeer rolling around, and as George hesitantly sat on what looked like a clean spot on the couch, he felt something squishy, and pulled out a moldy peanut butter sandwich from under him.

"What the hell happened here?" George yelled in disgust.

"Without the women coming around, there was no need to impress anyone by sprucing the place up, or nobody enforcing the guys to clean, for that matter." Lupin said, taking a leap over a large pile of clothes before joining him on the couch. "It became 'the ultimate bachelor pad', if you will."

"What do you mean '_without the women coming around?!_'" George said. "They're always here! And Hermione would never let the house get this way, I assure you. Some of the most entertaining conversations involve Hermione forcing Ron to clean, even though she doesn't live here!"

"Well, that doesn't happen in this universe."

"Rubbish." George said, and ran upstairs to his room.

It was a struggle to open the door to George's room, and as he opened it, he was again greeted by the smell of mold and dust, and could have sworn he heard a rat scurry out of the bedroom. George cast_ Lumos_, and instead of seeing a brightly lit room covered with pictures and posters, he was faced with a dingy, dimly lit room covered in cobwebs.

"Where's _my _room?!" George asked Lupin.

"I thought you said this was your room."

"Yeah, but this isn't what it's supposed to look like! Where are my presents for my family that are supposed to be in the corner?! Where's my comfy bed, or my embarrassing pictures of Ron put up with a permanent sticking charm, the endless boxes of Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes items, or the pictures of me and Fred?!"

"George, you never existed, so neither did your additions to the room." Lupin said calmly.

"Harry!" George screamed, running into his bedroom, but he couldn't find his friend.

"Ron!" George called, running upstairs to his brother's room, but he wasn't in their either. He turned to Lupin. "Where are they?"

"Well, still at work, I suspect." He said calmly.

"Rubbish, I saw Ron leave work before me; he was going to the Burrow!"

"But Ron doesn't work at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, George. He's an auror." Lupin pointed to the plaque honoring Ron for being an auror above Ron's dresser, and a picture of him and Harry, arm and arm on their first day of work, at about eighteen years old.

"So Ron finally got what he wanted." George whispered, and took time to study each of his pictures. There was a fairly recent one of George with Ron...wait, that wasn't him, it was Fred!

"You say Fred's still alive?" George said, eyeing Lupin suspiciously.

"Yes." He nodded.

"Does he live here?"

Lupin walked out of Ron's room and motioned for George to follow. They walked across the hall, and when Lupin opened the door, George ran inside. There was a desk, a bed, a dresser, and a few pictures hung up above the bed. There was a nice picture of Fred and Ron, a cute one of Fred and Ginny, and a few of the family. George studied them all. Fred had his arm around Percy in each of them. In each one, George couldn't find himself. There were no pictures of Fred and George together! He studied the pictures of the Quidditch team; there were some of his closest friends in that crazy bunch, but he noticed Fred high-fiving his beaters club with some random guy.

"Why am I not in any of these pictures?!" George asked worriedly. "Why am I not in family photos and why is there some random guy taking my Beater's position on the Quidditch team!"

"You never existed, so you were never there to pose for the pictures, or to be on the Quidditch team." Lupin said calmly.

"You need to stop saying that and give me more of an explanation!" George said angrily. "If Fred's still alive, which it looks like he is, I'm going to go talk to him! He'll give me answers." He said confidently.

"I doubt he'll know any more than me." Lupin said fairly.

"Even if he doesn't, I still want to see him." George said. "Funny, isn't it? If I listen to your theory that 'I never existed' Fred is alive and Ron has the job he always wanted. Things seem to be doing much better without me, I supposed." He said bitterly.

"On the surface, it may seem." Lupin said wisely, and George gave him a bemused expression, not knowing what he meant.

"C'mon, we're going to the shop. Fred will have answers, I just know he will!" George informed him, and apparated out of his twin brother's room.

**Author's note:** _Did I do better on the descriptions this time? I realized the setting was confusing that chapter, and I wanted to ensure everyone had an image of just how filthy the boys' bachelor pad had turned._


	4. The Shop

George apparated in the middle of Diagon Alley, in the mist of last minute holiday shoppers. He quickly began maneuvering through them to reach his destination.

The whole alley was crowded with people, but George went as fast as he could; so fast, in fact, that he seemed to have missed his shop.

"George, I didn't know you owned Gringrotts?" Lupin laughed, taking a seat next to George, who was catching his breath at the top step of Gringrotts.

"I don't believe it! I ran right past it!" George said in disbelief.

"Are you sure you ran past it?" Lupin asked.

"Well, my wicked speed is the only explanation. How could I have missed it?! The place is so bright and colorful; it sticks out like a sore thumb!"

George walked slowly, to the exact spot where his shop should have been. Now he understood why he hadn't noticed it.

"This is it." George said quietly, staring at his shop in disbelief. "This is my shop."

But could he even call it his shop anymore? Instead of the bright purple bricks used to make up Weasley's Wizard Weasleys', it was a bunch of dirty brown bricks slapped together. The sign was tilted, and some of the letters had fallen out. It said Wzrd Wath Israce, whatever that meant. The grimy windows were not filled with cool gadgets and gizmos, but instead, a look inside to a bunch of desks and books.

"It was a bit more...lively, last time I saw it, wasn't it?" Lupin said lightly.

"This isn't my shop! But this is where it's supposed to be." George said, and opened the door, which creaked loudly as he entered.

There was boring wooden floorboard and plain walls, with desks and chairs scattered across the room, each having a dimly lit lamp set upon it. There was a counter at the end, with large books stacked behind it, and a girl sorting through them.

"Excuse me." George said politely, and the girl turned around to face him.

"Welcome to Wizard Watch, the safest place to invest your insurance!" The young women said with a forced smile.

She wore frumpy clothes, a long skirt and a dull colored sweater draped over her shoulders. Her hair was unkempt and bushy. George's mind was filled with questions on why his joke shop was now his insurance agency, but he quickly forgot about those questions as he recognized the girl behind the counter.

"Hermione?" George sputtered.

Hermione stared at him for a moment. "Fred? Fred Weasley?"

George looked at her in surprise. "No, I'm George." She stared blankly at him. "George Weasley...Fred's twin brother..."

"Fred Weasley doesn't have a twin brother." She said confidently.

"Yes he does; me!" George said. "Remus, help me out here!" He said, looking towards his friend.

"Who are you talking to?" Hermione asked, concerned.

"Remus Lupin, he was the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher during your third year at Hogwarts." George said, like she was the crazy one.

"How did you know Professor Lupin was at Hogwarts during my third year?" Hermione asked, getting nervous. "Listen, sir, I think you've gone a bit mad. There's no one here but you and I, so unless you would like to invest in some insurance, I suggest you leave."

George looked to Lupin for backup, but he simply said, "Oh, did I forget to mention you are the only one able to see me?"

George glared at Lupin before saying angrily to Hermione, "I'm not here to invest insurance! I need some answers!"

Hermione recoiled in terror. "I don't know what you're talking about! And if you don't leave, I'll have to call my fiancée to throw you out! He's in the storage room, and I don't think you want to get in a tiff with him."

"Yeah, like Ron would throw out his own brother." George smirked.

"Ron Weasley?" She asked in an offhand voice.

"Yeah, how many other Rons do we know?" He said impatiently.

"You think Ron and I are engaged?"

"Well, I didn't know much about engaged, but together, yes." George said.

"Ron and I have never been together." She said quietly.

"What are you talking about?! You've been dating for four years!" George scoffed. "You've liked each other since first year!"

"I don't know what potion you've been drinking, sir, but it sure hasn't done you well. Yes, I'll admit I did have feelings for Ron Weasley in the past, but he was too shy about his feelings."

"Ron? Shy?" George sneered.

"Yes, Ron!" She spat. "Well, maybe shy isn't the right word. How do I explain it? I couldn't deal with his lack of confidence? I couldn't deal with his mixed signals? He never gave me any signs that gave notion that he liked me! He was so...hesitant to act on everything, so when a nice guy came around who treated me right and made me feel like I was worth something, I went for it." She sighed, and George could sense some unresolved feelings, considering she was pouring her heart out to someone she thought was a stranger.

"Well, you're still coming to the Burrow later tonight, aren't you?" George asked, not knowing how to respond to Hermione's softened attitude. "It's Christmas Eve!"

Hermione looked at him skeptically. "No, I will be attending Christmas Eve with my fiancée's family." She said with a glare, and sighed, and said in a kinder voice, "Besides, after Cormac and I started dating, Ron and I got in a massive fight, so I don't talk to Ron anymore, or any of the Weasleys. It's a shame that Harry has to hang out with Ron and me separately."

"You're marrying Cormac McGlaggen?!" George yelped.

"Yes, is there a problem with that, mister?" Hermione said with a suspicious glare.

"Yes, there is, actually!" George bellowed. "If anyone, you should be marrying Ron!"

"Actually, why should I even put your opinion into account?! You're mad! Like I said before, unless you want to buy insurance, I advise you to get out of the store!"

"I'm not here to buy insurance; I'm here to tell you what's gone damn wrong with your life!" He spat.

Hermione's eyes began to water. "Get out." She said shakily, pointing a wavering hand to the door. "Out!"

"No! What's happened to you, Hermione?!" George said, and Hermione came around from behind the counter and started to forcefully push him out. "Why are you not working in the Department of Magical Creatures for the equality of house elves?!"

"This is Cormac's insurance agency, and he said it would be a family thing, so he advised I come work here." She said through gritted teeth, trying to push him, but he was much too strong.

"But you loved your job!"

"Yes, but I love Cormac more!" She responded.

"No you don't!" He roared. "You love Ron! I know you still love Ron!"

"Stop, please, stop! Get out!" Hermione began to sob, grabbing his arms, which were trying to bracingly lie on Hermione's shoulders and talk sense into her.

"Why are you with an asshole like McLaggen?! He doesn't love you like Ron does!" George screamed.

"Cormac!" Hermione cried. "Cormac!"

George heard thundering steps, and then Cormac McGlaggen was at Hermione's side. Hermione wrapped her arms around him and sobbed into his chest, while he put one arm around her comfortingly while holding his wand at George menacingly with the other.

"Weasley! Didn't I tell you years ago to stay away from Hermione?" He bellowed.

"It's not Ron, Cormac!" Hermione bawled. "I don't know who he is, but he's mad! Get the Aurors, get Saint Mungo's, or at least get him out of here!"

George scrambled out of the shop before Cormac could do anything. He didn't stop before he hid behind a shop in Knockturn Alley.

"What the hell was that?!"

"Although sometimes the teasing you and Fred did to Ron was nasty, it did build character. Without you, Fred took more after Percy, and kept most of his funny jokes and crude comments to himself, so he didn't do much teasing to Ron." Lupin explained. "You would think the lack of teasing would boost his confidence, but in fact, it did quite the opposite. The teasing gave Ron reason to prove himself. Hermione was thing Ron was proud of. She wasn't easily swooned by Harry's fancy titles, or you and Fred being funny and popular. She liked Ron for Ron, and made him feel happy and secure. But if Ron had never been teased, he had never felt he was a worthless Weasley, so he didn't need to prove himself. He wasn't determined, he was fine with who he was. So he never showed his emotions to Hermione, so she was never sure if he liked her back, so she never kissed him. It wasn't until after the war, when Cormac made it known that he had feelings for Hermione, that Ron made his feelings for Hermione known, but it was too late."

"That...that's stupid!" George yelled in disbelief. "You're telling me that Ron and Hermione wouldn't be together if I wasn't born?!"

"Together, you and Fred helped make Ron who he was. He got his humor from you. He got his moves for girls after watching you two charm countless witches. He got his confidence from the need to prove you and Fred wrong. But without you, Fred wasn't who he was, so Ron never became who he is." Lupin said.

"And the shop?! Why is it a stupid insurance store?! Weasley's Wizard Wheezes has been me and Fred's dream since we were seven!"

"Like I said, without you, Fred was never who he was. Fred Weasley never had the desire to open a joke shop. But why its insurance agency is beyond me." Lupin said.

"Then who is Fred?! And who is Ron?! I need to see them!" George said, grabbing Lupin by the collar.

"Then I guess we should head over to the Ministry of Magic." Lupin said easily.

**Author's note:** _Does it make sense why Ron and Hermione aren't together? It's because he's a different person. In my head it makes sense, but I just want to make sure everyone's clear. And why did I choose an insurance angency in place of the shop? Honestly, because it sounded boring, which is the opposite of a joke shop._


	5. The Dream Job

"So _that's _why the apartment is a mess!" George exclaimed to Lupin. "Because Hermione isn't there forcing Ron to clean up!"

"Well, that would be the main reason, yes." Lupin nodded.

"But what about Angelina and Ginny?" George asked. "They may not be as crazy as Hermione, but they don't enjoy filth."

"You'll find out soon enough." Lupin said wisely.

George opened his mouth to question him further, decided he could ask Fred and Ron. "Ron's in the Auror department, right?"

"Yes."

George and Lupin hopped on an elevator and headed to the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, which housed the Auror office. George lurked around through the office, and found a tuff of red hair peeking out from behind a desk.

"Ron!" George exclaimed, running to him.

"Fred?" Ron said, a bit surprised. "No need to feel so anxious, I'm leaving for the Burrow in a minute, I promise!"

"You're an Auror!" George grinned.

"Caught on, have you?" Ron said, confused. "A bit late, I suppose."

"This is what you've always wanted!"

"Freddie, are you feeling alright?" Ron said, concerned.

"I'm not Fred. I'm his twin brother, your brother, George."'

"Fred, I don't have time for another one of your lame jokes, I want to get out of here!" Ron said, exasperated.

"Now, I really am, look! See, I have this special birthmark on my forearm that Fred doesn't have, right here," George rolled up his sleeve and began searching unsuccessfully for the birthmark.

"No birth, no birthmark." Lupin reminded him, and George bit his lip.

"Ron, I need you to trust me." George said seriously. "I'm not Fred."

"You're not Fred." Ron nodded.

"Excellent." George grinned, happy he trusted him so quickly. There was a reason he was fond of Ron. "Long story short, Fred died during the battle. I've been so heartbroken without him, and tonight, I dunno, something snapped with me. I, um, I tried to commit suicide, but Fred saved me! He's my guardian angel! And then I wished I had never been born, and now I'm in this weird alternate universe and no one knows who I am. But I'm your brother, George Weasley."

Ron stared blankly at him for a long time before thinking of something to say. "You're not George Weasley." Ron said. "There is no George Weasley! I don't know who you are, but you're mad!"

On second thought, he'd take back his nice comments about Ron. "It's true! I know you, Ron! Your favorite Quidditch team is the Chudley Cannons. Your patrounus is a Jack Russell terrier. You hate corned beef, which is Fred's favorite sandwich, but Mum often forgets and gives it to you anyway. I can go on with more facts and get increasingly more embarrassing, so stop me when you believe me." George rambled.

"I don't know who you are and if this is a prank or what, but just...go, please?" Ron sighed.

George turned around, defeated, before giving a glance back at Ron and said, "Why don't you fight for her?"

"Excuse me?"

"Hermione."

Ron looked up at him in surprise. "What do you know?"

"I know you still love her." George said softly, taking slow steps towards his brother.

"You don't know anything about what I feel." Ron spat.

"I know you still love her. You couldn't possibly be through with those feelings all so quickly, can you?" George said.

George had tugged at Hermione's heartstrings to get her to soften up to receive answers before she exploded on him, and he was hoping Ron would do the same. However, this was Ron Weasley, who was never too keen on sharing emotions, and did quite the opposite.

"Get out! Get out!" Ron yelled.

"Fine. Let me just say, I do believe Cormac and Hermione will make a lovely couple." George smirked.

Ron stood up abruptly from his seat. "Take that back!"

"I was merely stating a fact. They're getting married, are they not, and now you're upset that they're a good couple?"

Ron walked around from behind his desk to face George. "You claim to be my brother, and then talk about Hermione and Cormac in good terms! My brother wouldn't support that!"

"Well, if you're not going to fight for her, then I might as well be supportive of the marriage, right?" George said casually.

"You don't understand, do you?" Ron said quietly.

"Understand what?" George said with a quizzical look.

"I don't deserve her!" He cried, sitting down, defeated. "She's too good for me! I want her to be happy, and if she's happy with Cormac, then I'm happy...well, as happy as I can be without her."

"Hey, Ron, I didn't mean to get your wand in a knot." George said, patting his brother on the back awkwardly.

"Don't touch me, stranger!" Ron snapped. "I don't usually break down like this," He began, wiping a small tear, "But nobody usually asks about it anymore. The subject's taboo, it has been for years. And no one has ever put me in the wrong and tells me to do something about it; no one's ever asked me to change the fate of me and Hermione."

"I'm only telling you this because I know it can be done!" George said enthusiastically.

"What do you want me to do? Speak now at her wedding?!" Ron said bitterly.

"Well, I was thinking you'd have some time before that, but if that's what if boils down to, then yes, by all means." George said cheekily.

"I can't! I've caused her too much stress! I've barley talked to her in four years! And I'll bet it's been four years since she's even thought about me." He said glumly.

"I beg to differ." George mumbled.

"What?"

"I was just talking to her. I brought you up, and she went mad with guilt and heartbreak and some other womanly woes that I have seemed to forgotten." He said casually.

"You talked to her?! Wait, how?" Ron said, looking up at George in surprise.

"Where I come from, I own a joke shop that Fred and I started." George began.

"Joke shop? Fred isn't that creative!" Ron scoffed.

"I beg to differ. Anyway, I went to go find Fred in the shop, but was surprised to find the shop had been turned into an insurance agency, and Hermione was an employee there. Naturally, I began to question her on her life, and discovered quite a lot about you." George explained. "It seems that although Hermione may seem happy with Cormac on the surface, there are some unresolved feelings she has for you."

"Yeah, like she'd say that to a mad man like you!" Ron jeered.

"She didn't need to say anything, I just know." George said. "Just like your reaction tells me everything I need to know."

"But you don't understand!" Ron yelled, shaking with anger, and then realized this anger was a dead giveaway to his love for her, so he quickly composed himself, burying his head in his hands.

"What's there to understand, Ron?" George said quietly, putting a hand on Ron's shoulder. "You're a great guy, and Hermione would be lucky to have you. I only wish that you could see that yourself."

Ron looked up at him and forced a smile.

"Can I just ask you one question?" George said hesitantly, releasing his hand from his brother's shoulder. "And after that, I swear I'll leave you alone."

"Sure." Ron sighed.

"Are you...happy?"

"Define happy." He said uncertainly.

"Did things work out for you? I mean, so you didn't get the girl, but you have the job you always wanted! And you have a great, loving family!" George said positively.

"As I can be, I guess. Yeah, I have the job I've always wanted, but it's about the only thing I have going for me. What's the point of having a cool job if you can't share the cool stories with anyone? What's the point of having a nice salary if you have no one to spend it on? What's the point of having a job that does good in the world if there is no one to be proud of you? In the trio, Harry was the hero. Hermione was the brains. But I was the heart. I'm a lover, not a fighter. As much as I seem to be blunt, crude, and heartless, I'm really just looking for love. And I found it, but I let it slip right under my nose." Ron sighed. "As for my family, well, ever since the war, we've been kinda broken."

They were both silent for a moment. "Wow, I'm sorry, Ron." George finally said.

"The only thing you have to be sorry for is putting a damper on my Christmas Eve." Ron gave a grim laugh, and George began to walk away slowly.

"Wait, Ron! One more question!"

"No, you said that last time!"

"Seriously, it'll only take a second!" George begged.

"No! I don't want to feel worse about myself!"

"Please?"

"Go!"

George bit his lip, and then had a revelation. George ran into Harry's office.

"Hiya, Harry!" He said brightly.

"Hello, Fred!" Harry greeted.

"Hey, trivia question for you: What department do I work in?" George asked cheerfully.

Harry looked at him in surprise. "The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office, of course!" Harry chuckled.

"Thanks, mate!" George waved and walked out of the Auror Department.

"What was that about?" Lupin asked.

"Now we know where to find Fred." George smiled widely.

**Author's note: **_If you're a fan of George Weasley, which I assume you are by reading this story, you might want to check out my story, 'Playing Cupid'. It's a comical story about Ginny helping George get over his grief by setting him up on blind dates. Eventual George/Angelina. Give it a look!_


	6. The Office

"George, slow down!" Lupin commanded, speeding to keep up with him.

"Almost there!" George panted as they reached the elevator,pressing the button about five times like a small child.

"It's not going to go any faster, you know." Lupin said with a dismissive click of his tongue.

"I'm _excited, _Remus!" George whined. "I haven't seen my twin brother, my best friend, in four years!"

The elevator opened, and as it travelled to the level where Fred worked, George tapped his foot in anticipation. As soon as the doors opened, George bolted out, faster than a Firebolt.

For once, he was thankful that his father had forced him to come to work with him, so he knew exactly where the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office was. George burst through the door without even knocking.

It was a small office, so it was clear to see Fred was not there, and George was thoroughly disappointed.

"Where is he?!" George yelled, and Lupin shrugged.

"He's probably at the Burrow, right?" He asked, a bit more calmly. "I'm sure a department this small didn't need to come in on Christmas Eve."

"That would make sense." Lupin said. "Shall we go?"

"In a minute." George said, and began to peruse through the belongings on Fred's desk.

There were two desks in this office, an office no bigger than Fred and George's room at the Burrow. He knew which desk was Fred's by the photo of him and Ginny framed on it, but he could have assumed the desk was Fred's just by the lack of organization.

There were papers scattered across the desk, as well as quills. There were pieces of glass from a broken inkwell, and a puddle of ink pouring out from it. There were old _Prophets, _a few coins, a few letters, and some photographs. It was hard to imagine Fred could get anything done with a mess like this!

George began to open the drawers, and found some crumpled sheets of paper. One was a drawing of a Quidditch pitch, another was a game of hangman, but then he came across a letter to his younger brother.

_Ron,_

_I need job advice, and I know the best person who would give it is Dad. But how do I tell him every time I come to the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office I want to hit myself with a bludger? I'm thankful he got me this job, but I_

The letter was never finished, which explained why it was crumpled in a ball. George frowned and picked up another letter, this time to his older brother.

_Perce,_

_I know you're gonna say I told you so, but I'm just gonna say it: I should have studied more at Hogwarts, so then I wouldn't be at this dead-end job. I mean, yes, if Dad didn't pull some strings I'd probably be a maintenance worker, but I've grown up! I have goals and dreams! I'm ambitious, and I have some useful ideas! Maybe you could_

Fred hadn't finished that one either, but they both left George with a sickening feeling in his stomach. Fred didn't seem too happy.

"You look upset, George." Lupin noted.

"I just thought Fred would have the guts to do what he wanted in life, even without me." He confessed. "Fred was never hesitant about anything."

"Maybe you shouldn't go through his stuff." Lupin suggested. "You should talk to him in person before making assumptions."

"What's his is mine." George said, "That's what we always used to say."

George opened the final drawer, and found a badge. His heart almost skipped a beat because he worried it was a prefect's badge, but was relieved when he found a Quidditch captain badge.

_Fred had been Quidditch captain?! _Well, he supposed Fred would have a good chance if McGonagall didn't have to choose between the twins. _Maybe Fred's life was better without him after all. _Still, he thought Angelina had deserved her captain title...

George found a photograph at the bottom of this drawer. It was of the Quidditch team. There was Fred, puffing out his chest with his badge on it proudly, standing between Ron and the random beater again. Then, he noticed as he studied the picture, Angelina wasn't in it, and instead was replaced with some random girl.

"Remus," George said slowly, "I want to go see Angelina."

"But I thought you wanted to see Fred."

"If Fred's at the Burrow, he's most likely with Ron, who probably isn't too keen on me at the moment, considering the scare I gave him. He needs some time to calm down." George explained. "I _know _Angelina will understand. And she'll comfort me. She'll help me rationalize the situation and make it better. She always does."

"Okay."

"And Ginny!" George said excitedly as an afterthought. "Ginny's on the team too! Ginny will listen to me, I know she will! She'll help me, and she'll talk to Ron, and the rest of the family! She can explain my whole situation to them!" George looked at his watch. "The girls are probably still at Quidditch practice. I'll meet you at the Harpies' stadium, okay?" George said eagerly to Lupin, and apperated.

George appeared in front of the HolyHead Harpies stadium. He headed inside towards the locker room and saw a couple girls from the team walking out.

"Excuse me," He said to them. "Is Angelina still in there?"

"Angelina who?" The blonde girl said, giving him a quizzical look.

"Angelina Johnson." He said, and they stared blankly at them. "Your chaser?"

"Angelina Johnson isn't on our team." The blonde said with a dirty look, as if George was crazy.

"Yeah, she works at Hogwarts." The brunette added.

"Hogwarts?!" George exclaimed. "Well, could you at least tell me if Ginny's in there?"

"Ginny who?"

"Weasley!" George snapped impatiently.

"Ginny Weasley never made it to the Harpies." The brunette said quietly.

"Are you sure you're feeling alright, mister?" The blonde said with a nervous look.

"Yeah...I think so, at least." George said uncertainly. He found it hard to believe that by George not being born kept Angelina and Ginny from their favorite pastime and jobs. He supposed he could talk to Ginny when he reached the Burrow. "You say Angelina works at Hogwarts, correct?"

"Yes." The brunette nodded.

"Thanks! Merry Christmas!" He waved.

"Where to now?" Lupin asked.

"Back to Hogwarts, of course!" George said.

George and Lupin apperated in front of Honeydukes, because George knew the only way he could get in would be by secret passage. George walked into the shop and gave the owners' a bright smile and a big hello as he bought a Pumpkin Pasty out of courtesy towards them. After all the time Fred and George had spent sneaking through this passage during their school days, the owners had grown quite fond of them, giving them plenty of free sweets. However, they seemed to treat him like any other customer. Did they not recognize him? Did they not recognize Fred, who most people assumed George was?

_Maybe with George, Fred did not do that much sneaking around..._

When the owners weren't looking, George snuck in the back and took his favorite secret tunnel into Hogwarts.

Once he reached his school, he smiled widely. The halls were lavishly decorated for Christmas. At least some things hadn't changed.

George headed toward the Quidditch Pitch. He assumed Angelina had replaced Madame Hooch.

"Fred Weasley!" George heard a sharp voice call, and turned around to see Professor McGonagall. "What do you think you're doing here?"

George's ears turned red nervously. "I, uh, came to see Angelina Johnson, Professor."

He could have sworn McGonagall smiled. "And how did you get in the school?"

"I used one of the secret passages." He admitted. "Please, Professor! Don't kick me out! You can even give me a detention if you'd like, as long as I get to see her!"

Professor McGonagall laughed at this. "I won't do anything, this time." She said sternly, but then broke into a smile. "But, Weasley, do not make a habit of this, please? Merlin knows I saw enough of you and Jordan's shameful flirting with Miss Johnson during my Transfiguration class."

"Yes, anything, Professor!" He smiled, and started to walk away.

"Weasley, where are you going?" She called.

"The Quidditch pitch!" He responded.

"If you're looking for Miss Johnson, you'll have to go to the library." She informed him.

"The library?" He said to himself, and then to Professor McGonagall. "Alright, thank you, Professor! And Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas to you too, Mr. Weasley." She smiled.

There was a reason McGonagall was his favorite teacher.


End file.
